News about cybersecurity breaches and incidents in corporations worldwide is frequent. The first reassuring message is usually that the threat was detected and effectively contained without impacting sensitive data. However, sometime later, it is common to find information related to the attacked company for sale.
We believe that by analyzing the implemented cybersecurity models, investments made, cutting-edge technology, and established processes, we can effectively face current threats. But the reality is different: cybersecurity is not a static snapshot in time, nor a state we aim to restore after failures. Cybersecurity is a continuous process of evolution and improvement.
Several years ago, we began developing the idea of cyber antifragility. My first presentation on this concept was in 2015 during a cybersecurity week hosted by one of our clients, an event focused on promoting a culture of cybersecurity and continuous improvement. The title of the presentation was suggestive and attracted more executives and business personnel than technology collaborators: "Antifragile Model – Information Security in a World We Don't Understand."
Our day to day is surrounded by examples of mistakes we make on a personal, organizational, or even national level that prevent us from evolving as antifragile: parents who overprotect their children or financial system interventions to prevent bank failures are clear examples of how, by depriving people, organizations, or environments of stress elements, we weaken them in the long term.
So, why do corporations, despite their high investments in cybersecurity, alignment with best practices, and use of cutting-edge technology, still fail to effectively face cyber threats? We are up against the third-largest economy in the world: cybercrime. Cybersecurity is a complex system that must adopt an antifragile posture, not just a resilient one, to avoid weakening over time. Threats evolve exponentially, and controls lose effectiveness in increasingly shorter periods.
Systems that adapt and continuously improve based on the attacks and vulnerabilities they face. Each incident is an opportunity to learn and strengthen defenses.
Instead of merely reacting to threats, we must evolve proactively by implementing changes that not only correct failures but also anticipate and prepare for future threats.
Use artificial intelligence and data analysis to detect patterns, foresee attacks, and adapt defenses in real-time.
Diversify tools and strategies, along with integrated redundancies, ensuring that a failure in one part of the system does not compromise the whole. Diversity in defenses makes it harder for an attack to uniformly compromise all systems.
Beyond resilience seeks to restore the original state after an attack, cyber antifragility focuses on improving the post-attack state, creating more robust and secure systems.
Ongoing feedback from security events and the implementation of incremental improvements ensure the system is in a state of constant enhancement.
Our Unified Cybersecurity Operation model at A3Sec is supported by five pillars, helping our clients evolve toward antifragile cybersecurity models:
We transform the cybersecurity function into a data-supported function by building a cyber data engine that maximizes the exploitation of cybersecurity telemetry data repositories.
We enrich, analyze, and deliver value from the data from the moment it is extracted from the source, helping to maximize its value.
Generating cybersecurity intelligence is crucial as it allows for proactive threat identification and prevention, improved defenses, rapid incident response, and informed decision-making.
We help organizations stay updated on new vulnerabilities and attack tactics, reducing risks and adapting to constantly evolving threats, thereby protecting their digital infrastructure.
We focus on developing capabilities and best practices, transforming repetitive tasks into orchestrated and hyper-automated processes. This approach addresses the challenge of managing cybersecurity operations effectively, reducing the mean times to mitigate risk and cybersecurity uncertainty.
We work synergistically to align cybersecurity strategies with each client's strategic objectives. This includes comprehensive management of cybersecurity projects, from implementing effective controls and agile response to requirements, events, and incidents, to continuous innovation through interdisciplinary think tanks.
We prioritize customer satisfaction through continuous evaluations and proactive process improvement, ensuring a robust and adaptable security posture in an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Our research and development approach is based on our own Think Tank methodology and agile processes. This allows us to test functionalities and minimum viable products directly with our clients.
Thanks to this methodology, we stay at the forefront of the latest trends and technologies in cybersecurity, developing innovative and personalized solutions tailored to the specific needs of each client.